New Velocitek, thoughts? Options

[Editor]

Big Pimpin'

New and Improved

Velocitek is happy to announce the launch of the long awaited Velocitek SC-1 GPS Race Computer. The Velocitek SC-1 harnesses the power of GPS to give performance dinghy and sportboat sailors the functionality of a complete instrument suite including:

• Speed, VMG and Heading updated every half-second

• Start timer

• Ability to display any two measurements simultaneously on a multi-line display

The SC-1 installs in seconds and does not require any external wiring or through hull transducers.

The SC-1 also keeps a rolling 40 hour record of speed, heading and position that can be downloaded for replay and analysis on a PC. The SC-1 is seamlessly compatible with Google Earth and GPS Action Replay.

Feedback received through the Sailing Anarchy forum on Velocitek’s S5, S10 and Speedcompass models played a major part in the SC1’s design. For example:

“Why not a dual readout” - Gruntfuttock

SC-1 now has a two line display that lets you see any two modes simultaneously.

“Only 2 digits on the display? Seems like for high performance sportboats you'd want 3...” - Buford.

Both SC-1’s display lines now have three digits.

“If you could enter the wind direction directly, by scrolling a number until you get to the right compass heading, it might be simpler” - Emu

SC-1 VMG mode now works exactly like this. What do you think?

04/24/07

Attached File(s)

 velocitek.jpg ( 46.13K ) Number of downloads: 87

 

[Pete M]

nothing like development

[Scarecrow]

What do you think?

I think I want one.

[Raked Aft //]

seriously...how much$

Looks sweet!

[WunHungLo]

Great features according to the specs. I have one on order. The best feature is the ability to program it to disable the speed display and the leave compass and race timer. This makes it legal on one designs that prohibit speed related displays.

[Frank Rizzo]

Woah, that can't be cheap.

[DrySail]

Again... anyone know how much $$$? - no info. yet on Velocitek web site

[Phil]

It was only announced today,for the Aussies ,we're working on it.

Mels been on the phone...

[Velocitek]

Again... anyone know how much $$$? - no info. yet on Velocitek web site

US Retail is $599. Full product specs. as well as online ordering are now available on the Velocitek Website.

[skiffe]

Shame, I just bought an S10, which is a great bit of gear, but this looks better.

[frayedsheet]

So the VMG is based on two "user programmed reference points" and not a user programmed wind direction? Wont that make it near impossible to use on the racetrack and tedious to use even training? or am i missing something?

[bgulari]

So the VMG is based on two "user programmed reference points" and not a user programmed wind direction? Wont that make it near impossible to use on the racetrack and tedious to use even training? or am i missing something?

Its actually not that hard to do. Just set one at the boat and sail downwind line up the boat and the weather mark and set the second point.

[klury]

Could someone please explain something to me.
If I am in an "around the buoys" race, would not the vmg to the mark upwind or downwind be
the information most helpful to me, rather than vmg relative to the wind direction. The mark's
location is static, while the wind direction is constantly changing. For example, during a windward leg,
the wind could switch so much as to turn the leg into a reach, in which case vmg to the wind seems
irrelevant.

[frayedsheet]

Could someone please explain something to me.
If I am in an "around the buoys" race, would not the vmg to the mark upwind or downwind be
the information most helpful to me, rather than vmg relative to the wind direction. The mark's
location is static, while the wind direction is constantly changing. For example, during a windward leg,
the wind could switch so much as to turn the leg into a reach, in which case vmg to the wind seems
irrelevant.

ok, well what if the leg is almost a one tack work... so vmg on one tack will be very nearly boatspeed and vmg on the other will be near 0. What are you going to do with that information? If you have VMG to windward you can ensure that you reach the right balance of pressing down vs feathering. If VMG (based on wind) goes down then you can set about doing something to get that speed back again.

---------------

Im still not sure about this two setpoint VMG though - even if you do set the two points but keep sailing to windward of your weather-most point, then what?

[bgulari]

ok, well what if the leg is almost a one tack work... so vmg on one tack will be very nearly boatspeed and vmg on the other will be near 0. What are you going to do with that information? If you have VMG to windward you can ensure that you reach the right balance of pressing down vs feathering. If VMG (based on wind) goes down then you can set about doing something to get that speed back again.

---------------

Im still not sure about this two setpoint VMG though - even if you do set the two points but keep sailing to windward of your weather-most point, then what?

I think both you guys are still not understanding my point. The velocitec give vmg relative to a course direction.

By setting the two points. One at the boat and one inline with the boat and the weather mark you input your course direction into the gps.

I believe this is actually vmc instead of vmg
velocity made course

[FatimaRules]

ok, I'll have a try.

By setting the two weighpoints, the velocitek identifies the wind direction. It then does VMG to that wind direction, not the weighpoint. The new one now allows you to dial in the wind direction directly, without using weightpoints.

The reason they do VMG to wind (or WMC!) is so you can measure you absolute upwind performance. If it did true VMG, then it would give you a really slow VMG as you approached the layline. Not much use when your trying to measure speed to windward.

Therefore that is why requests were made for BOTH VMG (VMC!) and compass direction, as it allows you to identify headers and speed diferentials.

THese are compromises, but you've also got to remember that this isn't an ideal world. The velocitek is trying to find a way round not being able to install a bangs and whistles B&G network on your dinghy, and it's perhaps as near as possible to getting there.

[sirstopher]

And the price keeps on going up and up and up..... 600 bones seems to be allot of money, but I still want one.

[klury]

So, one could put in as waypoints in a handheld gps, locations for every 5 or 10 degrees of
compass heading at a distance 50 to 100 miles away from where you are sailing and use those
way points to determine vmg or vmc toward any nearby mark or location that has the same bearing.
Is this correct ?

[Velocitek]

ok, I'll have a try.

By setting the two weighpoints, the velocitek identifies the wind direction. It then does VMG to that wind direction, not the weighpoint. The new one now allows you to dial in the wind direction directly, without using weightpoints.

The reason they do VMG to wind (or WMC!) is so you can measure you absolute upwind performance. If it did true VMG, then it would give you a really slow VMG as you approached the layline. Not much use when your trying to measure speed to windward.

Therefore that is why requests were made for BOTH VMG (VMC!) and compass direction, as it allows you to identify headers and speed diferentials.

THese are compromises, but you've also got to remember that this isn't an ideal world. The velocitek is trying to find a way round not being able to install a bangs and whistles B&G network on your dinghy, and it's perhaps as near as possible to getting there.

This is exactly right. The S10 works by using the direction of a line drawn between the two reference points as the wind DIRECTION.

We improved on this for the SC-1 in response to suggestions from this forum. On the SC-1 the user dials in the wind direction directly as a heading between 0 and 359 degrees. This makes it easier to adjust when the wind shifts.

[FatimaRules]

This is exactly right. The S10 works by using the direction of a line drawn between the two reference points as the wind DIRECTION.

We improved on this for the SC-1 in response to suggestions from this forum. On the SC-1 the user dials in the wind direction directly as a heading between 0 and 359 degrees. This makes it easier to adjust when the wind shifts.

Does the sc-1 still have the weighpoint option, or has that been turned off?

Klury - yes, that would be a way of doing it.

[Velocitek]

Does the sc-1 still have the weighpoint option, or has that been turned off?

Klury - yes, that would be a way of doing it.

The SC-1 does not have the waypoint method. We tried it out and having both just made the interface too complicated.

It's pretty easy to setup the way it is now. You just sail straight downwind and put the top display in compass mode and the bottom one in VMG mode and then dial in the heading on the bottom display so it matches the heading showed on the top display. If you don't get the wind angle exactly right at first, it's easy to fine tune later on when you see that the readings on each tack are assymetrical.

[JDL]

Velocitek,

Are you using heading the same way I would use track or COG?

Great start, now add a chartplotting page that works with free raster charts, LED lighting for night sailing, and of course, keep the price constant! :-)

[Guest Anarchist malong_*]

MAGIOIN!!!!:D:D That's a work that we use on our yacht!! It's means that's relaxed/chill/cool! So this thing is aspecially for dinghy's but you can use it on a yacht two right? I sail both so that would come in handy and i can split the costs;)!

Greetzz from the sunny Island of Curacao!

[Velocitek]

Velocitek,

Are you using heading the same way I would use track or COG?

Great start, now add a chartplotting page that works with free raster charts, LED lighting for night sailing, and of course, keep the price constant! :-)

Yes. The bad news is that the compass doesn't work when your speed is under a knot. The good news is that by using a high-performance GPS chipset we can get the heading measurement to responds to changes in your angle very quickly (the display updates every half second). Another bonus of using GPS for heading is that you can mount the device in any orientation you like.

[Marshy]

any idea on $$$??